"As well all know, homeless people are still our neighbors and a part of our community," said Karen Williams, the chief operating officer of OC Partnership, the nonprofit lead partner in the biennial effort. "It was a powerful experience to see how many people dedicated their time to learning about homelessness."

The rain might affect the results, expected to be released at the end of May. Volunteers said the hot spots of homeless populations showed different numbers than expected.

"It'll be interesting to see how the rain affected the movement of people," Williams said.

The tabulated results will be sent to the federal government as justification for federal homeless-assistance funds. In 2011, Orange County received $16.2 million from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"We can solve this issue of homelessness, but we need to do it as a community," Williams said.